15 Signs That You’re Leading A Successful Life

While the nature of success may be relative to each individual, its presence also leaves a series of tell-tale signs and portents. Recognizing the fundamental aspects of success can enable you to evaluate your life at any given time, allowing you to consolidate while also laying the foundations for further self-improvement.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at 15 signs that suggest you are living a successful and fulfilled life. Consider the following.

1. You are constantly looking to learn and evolve.

Regardless of the form that it takes, success often breeds a desire for further attainment. This will usually manifest itself in a desire to learn and evolve as an individual, whether you look to develop relevant professional skills or seek out knowledge on subjects that interest you on a personal level. Either way, the desire to learn is often an indication that you are enjoying a rich and fulfilling life.

2. You are able to embrace continuous change.

Continued success will cause your life to evolve, which will bring both benefits and challenges in equal measure. While this can be daunting to those without a positive or proactive mind-set, it is important to remember that change remains an inevitable consequence of personal or professional attainment. By recognizing change as a sign of growth and success, you can embrace it fully and without inhibition.

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3. You are open to new and unfamiliar ways of thinking.

On a similar note, anyone who dreams of achieving sustained success must react positively to change in addition to embracing its theoretical benefits. If you remain open to new and evolutionary ways of thinking, for example, this is generally an indication that you are a successful and forward-thinking individual who is capable of thriving regardless of the circumstances that envelop you.

4. You are able to trust your instincts.

Whether you are evaluating a business or personal decision, instinct remains one of your most innate governing senses. It only ever presents itself sporadically, however, meaning that many choose to ignore their instincts and rely instead on alternative decision-making criteria. Individuals who are successful tend to trust their instinct more, however, as they have experience with using gut feeling to influence critical financial and lifestyle decisions.

5. You are in touch with technological advancement.

The pace of technological advancement has been rapid since the turn of the century, and it is only going to gather further momentum in the years ahead. Successful individuals tend to remain at the cutting edge of innovation, both in terms of their professional and personal endeavors, as this helps them to achieve their goals in a world dominated by technology. If you maintain an affinity with technological development, chances are, you are living a fulfilled and interactive existence.

6. You want to give back to society and those around you.

In the quest for success, it may be necessary to make sacrifices and adopt an insular mind-set. This is true whether you are looking to climb the corporate ladder or become a more productive and rounded individual, and your journey towards fulfillment can be extremely isolating and challenging. That said, those who have begun to enjoy success and achieve their goals tend to develop a more collaborative outlook, as they look to give something back to loved ones and society as a whole.

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7. You take care of your appearance and physical health.

The pursuit of success and individual goals can also be time-consuming, which means that it can be difficult to make time for recreational hobbies. Once you have a more contented and fulfilled life, however, you are likely to have a relaxed schedule that allows for personal endeavors. As a result of this, you can take greater care of your appearance and develop a fitness regime that maintains physical well-being. This is a sure-fire sign of success in the modern world.

8. You respect those around you regardless of their social standing.

Both professional and personal success is based on the cultivation of positive relationships, which in turns demands a great deal of mutual respect between each individual party. Having the capacity to respect and empathize with those around you is therefore a clear indication that you are enjoying a successful and well-balanced life, especially when applied to those who have a lower social standing.

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9. You have a positive bank balance.

While it is naive to suggest that success can be measured by financial wealth alone, it is often a clear indication that your career is embarking along an upward curve. After all, promotions and improved roles of employment tend to deliver higher rates of annual remuneration, so a healthy and positive bank balance suggests that you have already attained a number of professional goals.

10. You are ready to find love and commit to a long-term relationship.

Some may consider the pursuit of success to be an individual past-time, as you are forced to focus on your own needs rather than those of the people around you. This is why people who have achieved success find it easier to commit to a long-term relationship, as they have already laid the foundations for a secure and enjoyable future. If you have reached this juncture, you may consider yourself to have a relatively fulfilled existence.

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11. You are a self-confident and resourceful individual.

The course of your life is determined by individual experiences, which also have an impact on your psychological outlook. Successful people tend to be extremely self-confident and resourceful, for example, as they have survived both negative and positive experiences and used these to reinforce their self-belief. If you display these qualities, chances are, you have attained at least some level of success over time.

12. You are a happy and contented in your own company.

If you have regrets or aspects of your life that you are dissatisfied with, there are times when these feelings will be exposed. Whenever you spend time alone and in your own company, for example, you will be vulnerable to introspective thoughts and intense self-evaluation as you look to improve the quality of your life. If you are happy and contented in your own company, however, it is likely that you are a relatively successful individual.

13. You are constantly setting new and exciting goals.

As any dedicated and successful sports star will testify, the ability to set new goals on a regular basis holds the key to long-term achievement. Without this, you are likely to stagnate and come to a standstill as you follow your predetermined course. So if you find yourself in a position where you are constantly redefining your life’s course and setting brand new goals, you will have already achieved a considerable amount of success.

14. You struggle to maintain your hunger for success.

On a similar note, the achievement of interim success can do a great deal to dampen your hunger for further attainment. Feeling occasionally detached from your achievements and experiencing a lack of motivation are both typical consequences of being successful, and it is how you deal with these that will determine whether you continue to achieve over a prolonged period of time.

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15. You have a keen sense of perspective.

On a final note, it is important to consider how success creates a keener sense of perspective. This is because the pursuit of success requires you to establish clearly defined goals and priorities, while the sacrifices that you make enable you to understand what is truly important in life. So if you have achieved any form of success, you will have the ability to carefully evaluate situations and respond appropriately.

The Last Word

If you have enjoyed a prosperous and successful life, these tell-tale signs will certainly give the game away. So while each individual’s interpretation of success will vary, it is possible to measure your level of attainment by using several core and universal metrics.

The Secret to Effective Conflict Resolution: The IBR Approach

In business, in social relationships, in family… In whatever context conflict is always inevitable, especially when you are in the leader role. This role equals “make decisions for the best of majority” and the remaining are not amused. Conflicts arise.

Conflicts arise when we want to push for a better quality work but some members want to take a break from work.

Conflicts arise when we as citizens want more recreational facilities but the Government has to balance the needs to maintain tourism growth.

Conflicts are literally everywhere.

Avoiding Conflicts a No-No and Resolving Conflicts a Win-Win

Avoiding conflicts seem to be a viable option for us. The cruel fact is, it isn’t. Conflicts won’t walk away by themselves. They will, instead, escalate and haunt you back even more when we finally realize that’s no way we can let it be.

Moreover, avoiding conflicts will eventually intensify the misunderstanding among the involved parties. And the misunderstanding severely hinders open communication which later on the parties tend to keep things secret. This is obviously detrimental to teamwork.

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Some may view conflicts as the last step before arguments. And they thus leave it aside as if they never happen. This is not true.

Conflicts are the intersect point between different individuals with different opinions. And this does not necessarily lead to argument.

Instead, proper handling of conflicts can actually result in a win-win situation – both parties are pleased and allies are gained. A better understanding between each other and future conflicts are less likely to happen.

The IBR Approach to Resolve Conflicts

Here, we introduce to you an effective approach to resolve conflicts – the Interest-Based Relational (IBR) approach. The IBR approach was developed by Roger Fisher and William Ury in their 1981 book Getting to Yes. It stresses the importance of the separation between people and their emotions from the problem. Another focus of the approach is to build mutual understanding and respect as they strengthen bonds among parties and can ultimately help resolve conflicts in a harmonious way. The approach suggests a 6-step procedure for conflict resolution:

Step 1: Prioritize Good Relationships

How? Before addressing the problem or even starting the discussion, make it clear the conflict can result in a mutual trouble and through subsequent respectful negotiation the conflict can be resolved peacefully. And that brings the best outcome to the whole team by working together.

Why? It is easy to overlook own cause of the conflict and point the finger to the members with different opinions. With such a mindset, it is likely to blame rather than to listen to the others and fail to acknowledge the problem completely. Such a discussion manner will undermine the good relationships among the members and aggravate the problem.

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Example: Before discussion, stress that the problem is never one’s complete fault. Everyone is responsible for it. Then, it is important to point out our own involvement in the problem and state clearly we are here to listen to everyone’s opinions rather than accusing others.

Step 2: People Are NOT the Cause of Problem

How? State clearly the problem is never one-sided. Collaborative effort is needed. More importantly, note the problem should not be taken personally. We are not making accusations on persons but addressing the problem itself.

Why? Once things taken personally, everything will go out of control. People will become irrational and neglect others’ opinions. We are then unable to address the problem properly because we cannot grasp a fuller and clearer picture of the problem due to presumption.

Example: In spite of the confronting opinions, we have to emphasize that the problem is not a result of the persons but probably the different perspectives to view it. So, if we try to look at the problem from the other’s perspective, we may understand why there are varied opinions.

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Step 3: Listen From ALL Stances

How? Do NOT blame others. It is of utmost importance. Ask for everyone’s opinions. It is important to let everyone feel that they contribute to the discussion. Tell them their involvement is essential to solve the problem and their effort is very much appreciated.

Why? None wants to be ignored. If one feels neglected, it is very likely for he/she to be aggressive. It is definitely not what we hope to see in a discussion. Acknowledging and being acknowledged are equally important. So, make sure everyone has equal opportunity to express their views. Also, realizing their opinions are not neglected, they will be more receptive to other opinions.

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Example: A little trick can played here: Invite others to talk first. It is an easy way to let others feel involved and ,more importantly, know their voices are heard. Also, we can show that we are actively listening to them by giving direct eye-contact and nodding. One important to note is that never interrupt anyone. Always let them finish first beforeanother one begins.

Step 4: Listen Comes First, Talk Follows

How? Ensure everyone has listened to one another points of view. It can be done by taking turn to speak and leaving the discussion part at last. State once again the problem is nothing personal and no accusation should be made.

Why? By turn-taking, everyone can finish talking and voices of all sides can be heard indiscriminantly. This can promote willingness to listen to opposing opinions.

Example: We can prepare pieces of paper with different numbers written on them. Then, ask different members to pick one and talk according to the sequence of the number. After everyone’s finished, advise everyone to use “I” more than “You” in the discussion period to avoid others thinking that it is an accusation.

Step 5: Understand the Facts, Then Address the Problem

How? List out ALL the facts first. Ask everyone to tell what they know about the problems.

Why? Sometimes your facts are unknown to the others while they may know something we don’t. Missing out on these facts could possibly lead to inaccurate capture of the problem. Also, different known facts can lead to different perception of the matter. It also helps everyone better understand the problem and can eventually help reach a solution.

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Example: While everyone is expressing their own views, ask them to write down everything they know that is true to the problem. As soon as everyone has finished, all facts can be noted and everyone’s understanding of the problem is raised.

Step 6: Solve the Problem Together

How? Knowing what everyone’s thinking, it is now time to resolve the conflict. Up to this point, everyone should have understood the problem better. So, it is everyone’s time to suggest some solutions. It is important not to have one giving all the solutions.

Why? Having everyone suggesting their solutions is important as they will not feel excluded and their opinions are considered. Besides, it may also generate more solutions that can better resolve the conflicts. Everyone will more likely be satisfied with the result.

Example: After discussion, ask all members to suggest any possible solutions and stress that all solutions are welcomed. State clearly that we are looking for the best outcomes for everyone’s sake rather than battling to win over one another. Then, evaluate all the solutions and pick the one that is in favor of everyone.